RESIDENTS at Rope Quays in Gosport now have their own private art exhibition thanks to talented students St Vincent College. The prestigious 100-apartment harbourside development has recently had its public areas refurbished and the residents’ management company turned to the college for some artwork to brighten up its six main lobbies. Ken Huzzey, one of the management company’s six directors, said: “We had bare walls in the lobbies where the lifts and the mailboxes are so we wanted to try and add a bit of colour. We could have gone out and bought some posters or artwork but we knew the college had an art department so we got in touch. “We thought it would give some kudos for the students to have their work publicly displayed and we would get some great original art.”
Chloe Cusse, the college’s graphic design and fine art teacher, said she jumped at the chance to showcase her students’ work. “We thought it was a great idea and we were really pleased to be approached because we have some amazingly talented artists here and they deserve to have their work seen by a wider audience,” she said. “We had a viewing afternoon at the college and Ken came in and chose which ones he wanted.” A collection of nine pictures and graphical projects went up in the lobbies last month. “We’ve had really good feedback from the residents because the pictures make the entrances so much more interesting. It’s like they all have their own art gallery now,” said Mr Huzzey. “Not all of the pictures might be to everyone’s taste but they get people talking and they are interesting to look at. Every time you walk past there is something different in them to see. When I first saw the pictures I couldn’t believe how good they were, I was very impressed.”
The sixth form college, which runs full-time courses in fine art, graphics, photography and film and digital arts, is organising a photographic competition to find prints to decorate one remaining empty lobby. Miss Cusse said all of the pictures will be changed once a term to give more students the chance to have their work seen. “They are really excited at the opportunity of having them shown, it boosts their confidence and makes them feel more professional,” she said. “Now they don’t feel like an art student, they feel like an artist.” She said the college is keen to work with any other organisation with space to display students’ artwork. “It was great to be approached by Rope Quays because usually artists are the ones out looking for somewhere to show their work. We’d love to talk to anyone else about doing the same thing.”
Contact the college at b.flanagan99@outlook.com and find out more about the arts courses on offer at stvincent.ac.uk/full-time-courses/art-design.
Pictured: Rope Quays management company director Ken Huzzey and St Vincent College art teacher Chloe Cusse with a student’s artwork on display in one of the lobbies at the harbourside development
Pictured: Some of the St Vincent art students’ work on display at Rope Quays